Former names | Stadium Southland |
---|---|
Location | Surrey Park Sports Centre Invercargill Southland |
Coordinates | 46°24′25″S168°22′54″E / 46.4069°S 168.3816°E |
Owner | Southland Indoor Leisure Centre Charitable Trust |
Capacity | 4,019 |
Opened | 2000 |
Tenants | |
Netball: Southern Sting Southern Steel Basketball: Southland Sharks New Zealand Breakers | |
Website | |
www |
ILT Stadium Southland, also called Southland Arena, is an indoor arena and multi-purpose venue located in Surrey Park, Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand. It was originally the home venue of the Southern Sting netball team. It currently serves as the main home venue of both the Southern Steel netball team and Southland Sharks of New Zealand's National Basketball League. It has also occasionally served a home venue for both the New Zealand national netball team and for New Zealand Breakers of Australia's National Basketball League. The venue is owned by Southland Indoor Leisure Centre Charitable Trust and the Invercargill Licensing Trust has the naming rights. Stadium Southland was originally opened in 2000. Following a roof collapse in 2010, it was redeveloped in 2014. The SIT Zero Fees Velodrome, which was opened in 2006, is adjacent to the main stadium complex. As well as hosting netball and basketball matches and tournaments, Stadium Southland has also hosted music concerts and tennis, badminton, boxing and wrestling events.
Between 2000 and 2007, Stadium Southland served as the home venue for Southern Sting. Sting played in Netball New Zealand's Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup league. Sting were the league's most successful team. Between 2000 and 2005, they played six successive grand finals at Stadium Southland, winning five titles. [1] [2]
Since 2008, Stadium Southland has served as the main home venue for Southern Steel. [3] [4] [5] In 2017, Steel won their first premiership when they were the inaugural ANZ Premiership winners. Steel defeated Central Pulse 69–53 in the grand final which was played at Stadium Southland. [2] [6] [7] On 8 August 2018, for a match against Mainland Tactix, Stadium Southland was temporarily re-named the Wendy Frew Stadium in honour of the retiring Steel captain Wendy Frew. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
Since 2010, Stadium Southland has served as the main home venue for Southland Sharks of New Zealand's National Basketball League. [13] [14] [15] [16] In 2021, Sharks played six home matches at Stadium Southland. [17]
On 16 November 2018, New Zealand Breakers hosted their first Australian National Basketball League match at Stadium Southland. Breakers took on Melbourne United, losing 108–101. [18] [19] During the 2019–20 NBL regular season, Breakers returned to Stadium Southland. This time they played Perth Wildcats, losing 84–79. [20] [21]
Ray Harper, a local sports administrator and Invercargill Licensing Trust president, advocated for the establishment of a home venue for Southern Sting. Harper took on the role of project manager for Stadium Southland and rallied the community to get the venue built in 2000. [22] [23] On 25 March 2000, Stadium Southland was officially opened by Prime Minister Helen Clark. The original stadium featured a seven-court complex and was constructed at a cost of NZ$11.3 million. It had a permanent seating capacity of 2,600 and almost 2000 more in temporary scaffolding. On 2 April 2000, Southern Sting made their home debut at Stadium Southland, with a 65–56 win against Capital Shakers. [1] [24] [25]
On 18 September 2010, the Stadium Southland roof collapsed following a heavy snowfall. [13] [26] [27] [28] About 12 youth tennis players and their parents were leaving a training session at about 11:25am when the roof above the courts came down under the weight of fresh snow. [29] In December 2010 a review found that the roof collapse was due to inadequate workmanship, low building code requirements and unusually heavy snow fall. [30] In May 2012, the Department of Building and Housing released a report citing construction defects and deficiencies in steel fabrication and welding as contributing factors to the collapse. [31] The report was also referred to the New Zealand Police to investigate. [32]
In 2015, Stadium Southland's insurers were awarded nearly NZ$17m after stadium engineer Tony Major and Invercargill City Council were found guilty of negligence. The judge found the city council was entitled to seek 90% of the $16,998,225 in damages from Major, who did not ensure roofing repairs 10 years earlier complied with the building code. The city council was found to be 10% liable because it signed off on the work without being sure it was up to scratch. In 2016, the council appealed to the Court of Appeal, with council lawyer, David Heaney QC, arguing the council was not liable because the Southland Indoor Leisure Centre Charitable Trust had been "careless in respect to their own safety". After the roof of the stadium was seen swaying about six inches in the wind, the stadium trust carried out an inspection and was given recommendations that included "an inspection of the welds and trussess", Heaney said. However, those inspections were not carried out. "If those recommendations had been adopted, the roof collapse wouldn't have occurred," he said at the appeal hearing. The Supreme Court decision, handed down by three judges in 2017, supported Heaney's claims. [27] [33] [34] [35] [36]
In February 2014, Stadium Southland, now known as ILT Stadium Southland following a naming rights agreement with Invercargill Licensing Trust, was reopened. [37] [38] On 9 May 2014, Stadium Southland was officially opened by Prime Minister John Key. The redevelopment of the stadium cost NZ$43.5m. This included $6.6m for an enlarged entrance, $3.9m for a larger community court area, $3.2m for a strengthened core block and $2.3m for upgraded seating, sound system, scoreboards, and climbing wall. The new toilets cost $1m. [24] [27] The New Zealand Government contributed $2m to the cost. [39] [40] [41]
In April 2023 it was announced that Nigel Skelt had resigned as general manager of Stadium Southland. Skelt had worked at the stadium for 24 years. [42] On 2 May 2023, Radio New Zealand reported that a female teenage employee at Stadium Southland had resigned on 17 February 2023 in response to Skelt's remarks about her physical appearance, naked jelly wrestling, and sexual reproduction. The former employee said she was upset by Skelt's remarks and no longer wanted to work alongside him. Radio New Zealand also reported that the Mayor of Invercargill, Nobby Clark, at the behest of the Stadium Southland Limited chairman, Alan Dennis, tried to defuse the situation. He paid the teenage employee's NZ$3,000 in lost income, offering the employee counseling and work, issuing a warning to Skelt, and negotiatated a confidentiality agreement with the employee. The young woman's parents criticised Clark in a letter for allegedly prioritising Skelt and the stadium's reputation over the hurt and damage experienced by the employee. The incident became public knowledge following a Local Government Official Information Meeting Act media request filed on 29 March 2023. [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] On 4 May 2023, Skelt resigned as an Invercargill city councillor after a fellow councillor, Ria Bond, threatened to resign if Skelt did not. [48] [49] Clark subsequently resigned from the Southland Indoor Leisure Centre Charitable Trust [50] and Dennis resigned from the Stadium Southland Limited board. [51]
During the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup, the ANZ Championship and the ANZ Premiership eras, Stadium Southland has hosted several netball finals. [2]
Season | Winners | Score | Runners Up |
---|---|---|---|
2000 [1] [52] | Southern Sting | 43–40 | Canterbury Flames |
2001 [53] [54] | Southern Sting | 47–44 | Canterbury Flames |
Season | Winners | Score | Runners Up |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | Southern Sting | 54–48 | Canterbury Flames |
2003 | Southern Sting | 51–49 | Northern Force |
2004 [55] | Southern Sting | 63–55 | Canterbury Flames |
2005 [56] [57] | Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic | 65–39 | Southern Sting |
Season | Winners | Score | Runners Up |
---|---|---|---|
2016 [58] [59] | Southern Steel | 57–59 | Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic |
Season | Winners | Score | Runners Up |
---|---|---|---|
2017 [6] [7] | Southern Steel | 69–53 | Central Pulse |
2020 [60] [61] | Central Pulse | 43–31 | Mainland Tactix |
As well as hosting netball and basketball matches and tournaments, Stadium Southland has also hosted music concerts and tennis, badminton, boxing and wrestling events.
Date | Event | |
---|---|---|
6–8 April 2001 | 2001 Davis Cup | International tennis match between New Zealand and Uzbekistan [62] |
25 April 2007 [24] | Hi-5 live performances | |
27 September 2008 [24] | Hi-5 live performances | |
24–27 February 2010 | 2010 Oceania Badminton Championships [63] [64] | International badminton tournament |
2 October 2014 | 2014 Constellation Cup [65] [66] | International netball test between New Zealand and Australia |
1 August 2015 | Joseph Parker - Road to the Title [24] [67] [68] [69] [70] | Heaveyweight boxing fight between Joseph Parker and Bowie Tupou. The undercard featured David Letele, Jai Opetaia, Izu Ugonoh, Bowyn Morgan and Jeff Horn. |
20 October 2016 | 2016 Constellation Cup [71] [72] | International netball test between New Zealand and Australia |
3 September 2017 | 2017 Netball Quad Series [73] [74] | International netball series featuring New Zealand, Australia, England and South Africa. |
14 July 2018 | 2018 Southern Rumble [75] | Southern Pro Wrestling event |
16 November 2018 | New Zealand Breakers v Melbourne United [19] | Breakers host their first Australian National Basketball League match at Stadium Southland. |
13 July 2019 | 2019 Southern Rumble [75] | Southern Pro Wrestling event |
3 November 2019 | New Zealand Breakers v Perth Wildcats [20] [21] | Breakers host Wildcats in a 2019–20 NBL regular season Round 5 match. |
7–8 August 2020 | Southern Steel Double Header Weekend. [60] | Southern Steel play Northern Mystics and Central Pulse in the 2020 ANZ Premiership |
3 October 2020 | Blindspott concert. [60] [76] | |
24 June 2021 | Devilskin and Kora concerts. [17] [77] | |
19 October 2023 | 2023 Constellation Cup | International netball test between New Zealand and Australia. The stadium was temporarily renamed Robyn Broughton Stadium in honour of the former coach, Robyn Broughton who had died on 6 September 2023. [78] [79] [80] |
6 October 2024 | 2024 Taini Jamison Trophy Series | International netball test between New Zealand and England. [81] |
Southern Sting are a former New Zealand netball team that were based in Invercargill. Between 1998 and 2007, Sting played in the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup league. They were the league's most successful team. They played in all ten grand finals and won seven of the ten titles played for. Between 1999 and 2004, Sting won six successive titles. Ahead of the 2008 season, Sting merged with Otago Rebels to form the new ANZ Championship team, Southern Steel.
Belinda Louise Colling is a former New Zealand netball international. Between 1996 and 2006, she made 92 senior appearances for New Zealand. She captained New Zealand at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the 1999 World Netball Championships and was a member of the New Zealand teams that won gold medals at the 2003 World Netball Championships and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Colling is also a double international and played for the New Zealand women's national basketball team at the 2000 Summer Olympics. During the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup era, Colling played netball for Otago Rebels, Canterbury Flames and Southern Sting. She also played for Team Northumbria in the Netball Superleague. In 2022, she was included on a list of the 25 best players to feature in netball leagues in New Zealand since 1998.
Auckland Diamonds were a former New Zealand netball team based in Waitakere City, Auckland Region. As a result, they were also known as Auckland Waitakere Diamonds. Between 1998 and 2007, Diamonds played in the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup league. Diamonds finished as semi-finalists on four occasions – 1998, 1999, 2005 and 2007. Ahead of the 2008 season, Diamonds merged with Northern Force to form the new ANZ Championship team, Northern Mystics.
Otago Rebels are a former New Zealand netball team that were based in Dunedin. Between 1998 and 2007, Rebels played in the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup league. Rebels played in two grand finals. In 1998 they were the league's inaugural champions. In 1999 they were runners up. Ahead of the 2008 season, Rebels merged with Southern Sting to form the new ANZ Championship team, Southern Steel.
Adine Rachel Wilson is a former New Zealand netball international and current commentator. Between 1999 and 2007, Wilson made 79 senior appearances for New Zealand. She represented New Zealand at the 1999 and the 2003 World Netball Championships, winning a gold medal at the latter. She captained New Zealand when they won gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and again at the 2007 World Netball Championships. During the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup era, she played for Otago Rebels and Southern Sting. During the early ANZ Championship era, she captained Southern Steel. She was a member of six premiership winning teams – the 1998 Otago Rebels team and the 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007 Southern Sting teams. In 2022, she was included on a list of the 25 best players to feature in netball leagues in New Zealand since 1998. In 2024, Wilson was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to netball.
Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic are a New Zealand netball team based in Hamilton. The team were formed in 1998, following the merger of Waikato Wildcats and Bay of Plenty Magic. In 1997, Wildcats and Magic had been founder members of the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup league. Between 1999 and 2007, the new team continued to play in the league. Magic are the only team from the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup era to have retained their original name. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. Since 2017, Magic have represented Netball Waikato Bay of Plenty in the ANZ Premiership. Netball Waikato Bay of Plenty is the governing body that represents the North Island regions of Waikato and Bay of Plenty. During the National Bank Cup era, Magic were premiers in 2005 and 2006. During the ANZ Championship era, Magic were the most successful New Zealand team. In 2008 they were minor premiers and they were grand finalists in 2008 and 2010 before winning the overall title in 2012. They were the only New Zealand team to win the ANZ Championship.
Southern Steel are a New Zealand netball team based in Invercargill. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. Since 2017 they have represented Netball South in the ANZ Premiership. Netball South is the governing body that represents Southland and Otago. In 2017 they won their first premiership when they were the inaugural ANZ Premiership winners. In 2018 they won their second premiership when they retained the title. In 2017 Steel were the inaugural winners of the Netball New Zealand Super Club tournament.
Sheryl Scanlan, originally known as Sheryl Clarke, is a former netball international who has played for Samoa and New Zealand. She captained Samoa at the 1999 World Netball Championships. She was subsequently a member of the New Zealand teams that were gold medallists at the 2003 World Netball Championships and silver medallists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and 2007 World Netball Championships. During the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup era, she played for Northern Force. During the ANZ Championship era, she played for Northern Mystics and Southern Steel. In 2022, she was included on a list of the 25 best players to feature in netball leagues in New Zealand since 1998.
The SIT Zero Fees Velodrome, previously known as the ILT Velodrome and also known as the Invercargill Velodrome, is an indoor velodrome located in Surrey Park, Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand. It is next door to the ILT Stadium Southland and is part of the same complex. It is the main home venue of Cycling Southland and it serves as a training facility for three Invercargill sporting franchises – Southland Stags, Southland Sharks and Southern Steel. The velodrome was originally opened in 2006. The venue is owned by Southland Indoor Leisure Centre Charitable Trust. Invercargill Licensing Trust previously held the naming rights. Since 2013, they have been held by the Southern Institute of Technology.
Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit is a former New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand teams that won the 2010, 2012 and 2013 Fast5 Netball World Series'. During the National Bank Cup era, she played for Western Flyers and Southern Sting. During the ANZ Championship era she played for Southern Steel and Central Pulse. During the ANZ Premiership era, she has played for Steel. She was a member of three premiership winning teams – the 2007 Southern Sting team and the 2017 and 2018 Southern Steel teams. She was also a member of the Steel team that won the 2017 Netball New Zealand Super Club tournament. In 2022, she was included on a list of the 25 best players to feature in netball leagues in New Zealand since 1998. Her younger sister, Te Paea Selby-Rickit, is also a New Zealand netball international. Her father, Hud Rickit, is a former New Zealand rugby union international.
Wendy Frew, previously known as Wendy Telfer, is a former New Zealand netball international. During the National Bank Cup era, she played for Southern Sting. During the ANZ Championship era and early ANZ Premiership era, she played for Southern Steel. She was a member of six premiership winning teams – the 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007 Southern Sting teams and the 2017 and 2018 Southern Steel teams. She captained Steel when they won both premierships. She also captained Steel when they won the 2017 Netball New Zealand Super Club tournament. In 2022, she was included on a list of the 25 best players to feature in netball leagues in New Zealand since 1998.
Bernice Papasina Mene is a former New Zealand netball international. Between 1992 and 2001, Mene made 76 senior appearances for New Zealand. She represented New Zealand at the 1993 World Games, the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the 1995 and 1999 World Netball Championships. She captained New Zealand during 2000 and 2001 seasons. Between 1998 and 2002, during the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup era, she captained Southern Sting as they won four premierships. In 2003, Mene was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to netball. In 2022, she was included on a list of the 25 best players to feature in netball leagues in New Zealand since 1998.
Natalie Avellino is a former Australian netball international and current netball coach. Between 1994 and 2006 she made 20 senior appearances for Australia. Avellino was a member of the Australia teams that won the gold medal at the 1995 World Netball Championships and the silver medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Te Paea Selby-Rickit is a New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand teams that won the 2019 Netball World Cup. She has also represented New Zealand at the 2018 and the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2023 Netball World Cup. She was a member of two premiership winning teams – the 2017 and 2018 Southern Steel teams. She was also a member of the Steel team that won the 2017 Netball New Zealand Super Club tournament. Since 2019 she has played for Mainland Tactix. Her older sister, Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit, is a former New Zealand netball international. Her father, Hud Rickit, is a former New Zealand rugby union international.
The 2018 ANZ Premiership season was the second season of Netball New Zealand's ANZ Premiership. With a team coached by Reinga Bloxham, captained by Wendy Frew and featuring Gina Crampton, Shannon Francois, Te Paea Selby-Rickit and Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit, Southern Steel retained the title, winning their second consecutive premiership. Central Pulse finished the regular season as minor premiers. However, in the grand final Steel defeated Pulse 54–53. The top three teams from the season – Steel, Pulse and Mainland Tactix qualified for the 2018 Netball New Zealand Super Club.
Reinga Bloxham, also known as Reinga Te Huia, is a former New Zealand netball player and current coach. During the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup era, she played for Southern Sting. Since 2016, she has served as head coach of Southern Steel in the ANZ Premiership. In 2017 and 2018, Bloxham guided Steel to two successive ANZ Premiership titles.
The 2019 ANZ Premiership season was the third season of Netball New Zealand's ANZ Premiership. With a team coached by Yvette McCausland-Durie, captained by Katrina Grant and featuring Karin Burger, Aliyah Dunn, Ameliaranne Ekenasio and Sulu Fitzpatrick, Central Pulse finished the regular season as minor premiers. In the grand final, Pulse defeated Northern Stars 52–48, winning their first premiership.
Gina Crampton is a New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand teams that won the 2019 Netball World Cup and the 2021 Constellation Cup. Crampton was also a member of the Southern Steel teams that won the 2017 and 2018 ANZ Premierships. She was named the 2016 New Zealand ANZ Championship Player of the Year and the 2019 ANZ Premiership Player of the Year. Crampton has captained both Southern Steel and New Zealand. Since 2021 she has played for Northern Stars.
Aliyah Dunn is a New Zealand netball international. Dunn was a prominent member of the Central Pulse teams that won the 2019, 2020 and 2022 ANZ Premiership titles. She was also a fringe member of the 2017 Southern Steel team that won the inaugural ANZ Premiership title. Dunn was also a member of the New Zealand teams that won the 2017 Netball World Youth Cup and the 2018 Fast5 Netball World Series. Between 2015 and 2017, Dunn also represented the New Zealand women's national basketball team at under-17 and under-19 levels. In 2022 she played for Tokomanawa Queens in the new Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa league.